Wheeleta

ABSTRACT

Wheeleta comprises a regular wheelchair to which, the front area has been altered to adapt a pair of crutches. Wheeleta crutch assembly includes the wedges, the sheath, the spear and the handle with under arm cushion area and the bar. It will attach the handle to the spear by lifting the button and introducing the bar into the spear until the previously established height is reached. The button is liberated and the height is fixed. The wedge is attached to the end of the spear and kept in place by a pivot with an open end with a rotating metal blade. The crutches could be out of way by twisting the spear in its own sheath and utilized by the user when rises to go out or entering the chair. The crutches could be removed from the sheath by lifting and pushing the crutch. The wedges also, could be completely removed from the spear by twisting the flip at the end of the crutch pivot. The crutch handle with bar could be removed out of the spear and used to reach objects.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

(Not Applicable)

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FLING SYSTEM (EFS-WEB)

(Not Applicable)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wheelchocks, particularly to chocks as a foot rest in a wheelchair to over come obstacles.

(2) Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 (Background Art)

After the observation of different wheelchairs I Conclude that must of them are too Expensive, or complicated and do not offer the most a wheelchair should do for a Lonely disable person. Service and confidence at a law cost, accessible to all persons with disability. Wheelchair is the most important thing for a lonely disable person. The chair should be there to solve at the very least provide the iniciative to create solutions to different obstacles.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The wedges in WHEELETA could help in overcome those obstacles by lifting the front and the back wheels of the wheelchair to overcome obstacles. The wheelchair should provide the instruments. It is in disabled person mind to create the best way to solve different problems, keeping their minds busy.

By removing the crutch from the sheath, lifting the spear and pushing out of sheath, the crutch is free to be used as needed. It could be used to open doors by introducing the narrow end of the footrest between the door and the handle to the groove in the narrow part of the wedge, twist the crutch, push or pull the door to open. Additional help could be provided by the other crutch to keep the door open while going through. The crutch could be hold in the lap while pushing or hook it in the armrest tubing when pulling.

The crutches also could be placed in front of both front wheels of wheelchair to reach the Sidewalk. The wedges continue in position to lift the rear wheels up to the sidewalk. Crutches should be attached to the chair by a coil cable from the upper part of the handle to the immediate tubing of the wheelchair.

Other way to use the wedge is rotating the metal sheet at the end of the crutch spike for the Wedge, liberating the wedge. It could be recovered with the same crutch after achieving the goal.

The crutches could be used also to go up the stairs. The handle of the crutch going on front should be shorter than the one behind. In this case, the wedge should be shorter to fix the step in a stair case.

The wedge pins in the wedge should determine the distance of pivoting of the crutch. The wedge, when press down the step, should incline the crutch to the front. In some way, It will avoid the disabled person to fall back.

Two other groove or channels were added to lower part of the sheath. The idea is that, if a paraplegic person is down on the floor, close to the chair, could lift the crutch, move it from the upper part of the sheath and insert it bottom up, allowing more stability to the chair when he or she is trying to get back to the seat. For this procedure it is necessary to lift or remove the handle. To free the crutch from the bottom groove of the sheath, will be necessary the use of the other wedge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The embodiment of the alteration in the front area of a wheelchair will be Illustrated by drawings. The crutch adapted comprises the handle, the grip, the spear and the wedge. Also the sheath to carry the crutch.

Page 1, FIG. 1 Is a prospective view of a wheelchair with a pair of chocks fixed to crutches. Those crutches could be liberated by simply lift and push to the front.

Page 2, FIG. 2 Is a section view of the sheath. It comprise FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 The sheath is the house of the spear (FIG. 7) It allow the crutch to be free when ever needed.

Page 3, FIG. 7 Is a section view of the spear. It is the crutch itself. It is composed by FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Also include the wedge and the handle. It can be removed and put aside.

Page 4, FIG. 12, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are respectively, front, rear and side views of the button used to fix the adequate height of the crutch.

Page 5, FIG. 15 Is a plan view of the wedge footrest

FIG. 16 Is a side view of a slightly modified wedge

FIG. 16a Is a hollow or groove used to hook, between other things, handles of door. By inserting the chock between the door and the handle, the door could be pulled or pushed to be opened.

FIG. 16b and FIG. 16c are holes with thread. Those are the docks of FIG. 16e and FIG. 16 f.

Page 6, FIG. 17 Is a perspective view of the crutch without the handle and the wedge

FIG. 17a Is a side section view of the system to keep the wedge in place. It consists of a flip piece of metal crossed to avoid the wedge to fall off.

FIG. 17b Is a section view of the area where the flip piece of metal is hidden to avoid the wedge to fall of. It demonstrates the easy way to take off the wedge.

FIG. 18 Is a perspective side view of the crutch. The anchor pin where the wedge pivot limited by the two studs and the piece of sheet welded to the spear.

FIG. 18a Is a section view of the piece of metal welded to the spear.

Page 6, FIG. 19 Is an elevation bottom view of the area where the wedge is installed

Page 7, FIG. 20 Is a section view of the crutch with the wedge installed and secure with the flip piece of metal

FIG. 21 Is a perspective side view of the wedge. Both figures try to demonstrate that the pivoting of the wedge is limited by the piece of metal and the two studs.

Page 8, FIG. 22 Is a perspective view of the crutch. The doted lines are holes going trough the bar for the installation of the handle. The other holes observed are for the small pin of the bottom to adjust the adequate height.

FIG. 23 Is a side plan view of the crutch. The other side is a mirror view.

FIG. 23a Is a plan view of the hanger utilized when shopping or traveling. Used to hang purses, handbag or shopping bags.

FIG. 23b Is a plan view of the hanger utilized to reach specifically design cups or glasses. Remembering that the handle could be removed very easy from the crutch.

FIG. 24 Is a perspective view of the top of the handle. Is a very cushion area that try to distribute the weight through a bigger area

Page 9, FIG. 25 Is a front elevational view of the grip for the crutch handle. FIG. 26, FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 are respectively rear, side and top views of the grip.

Page 10, FIG. 29 Is a perspective view of the whole crutch. It consists of the spear, FIG. 7, the footrest, FIG. 15, the handle, FIG. 22 and the grip, FIG. 25.

FIG. 30 Is a side perspective view of the crutch. The footrest pivotally supported limited by the two studs. Also, the button, FIG. 12, to fix the appropriate height of the crutch could be observed.

Page 11, FIG. 31 Is a perspective view of the embodiment of the spear entering the sheath. How easy it could be.

Page 12, FIG. 32 Is a perspective view of the embodiment of the crutch including FIG. 7, the spear and FIG. 2, the sheath inversely (bottom up) attached. This movement create more stability to the wheelchair, limiting the movement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Wheeleta is the combination of wheelchair and muleta 1, is an embodiment to be Welded to a front area of a wheelchair, having as purpose, improve the easy movement of a person with limitations.

It consist of the sheath 2, welded to the front of the wheelchair. The spear 7, goes coupled inside the sheath 2, docked and secure by two wings inside two grooves on the sheath but allowing the spear to be liberated very easy 31. By lifting and pushing out of sheath, the crutch is ready to be used for several purposes.

The footrest of the crutch is a wedge 16. It comprises a groove 16 a, a step for a second impulse to the side walk 16 b, two small holes 16 c and 16 d with thread, a bigger hole 16 e and two bolts 16 f and 16 g. The wedge could be used as a ramp to overcome obstacles. It is by lifting the spear 7 out of the sheath 2, putting the handle all the way down inside the spear and place the wedge on the floor in front of the wheels. The crutches should be attached to the wheelchair by a coil cord, from the handle to the upper tube closer to the crutch. Other way to use the wedge is rotating the metal sheet that hold in place the wedge 17 a, 17 b. leveling the tube, unlocking the wedge. It could be recovered with the same crutch after achieving the goal.

The groove 16 a, in the wedge was created to help disabled persons to open doors by Introducing the narrow end of the chock between the handle and the door to the groove and pulling by hand or by hooking the armrest in wheelchair tube close to the lap and move back. The groove also could dock the handle of some doors lock, twist it and push or pull to open. Those swinging doors could be pushed with the rubber under the wedge to be opened. In some cases the other crutch should be used to help. Those two holes with threads 16 c and 16 d, host two studs 16 f and 16 g to limit the pivoting movement of the wedge. A piece of metal sheet 18 a, welded to the crutch end, will be between the two studs. The bigger hole 16 e, in the wedge is for the pivoting spike 17 and 17 a.

The crutch handle 22, has a cushion area with memory foam trying to distribute evenly the body weight.

The small and shallow holes 22, are used to establish appropriate height fixed by the button 14. The side view of the crutch 23, shows the bigger holes to fix the grip. The hanger 23 a, under the crutch cushion handle is necessary when shopping to hang, shopping bags purses or hand bags, allowing to free both hands for displacement.

The hanger 23 b, could be used to hook certain cups or glasses when sitting at the table or reaching the salt at the other end. The handle should be out of the spear.

The grip 25, fixed at horizontal position for easy grip will be fixed at the other end with a wingnut. 25 a

The whole crutch 29 and 30. The wedge is fixed with a spike at the end of the spear. The handle is inside the spear. The shape of both crutch are the same. Each spear could be twisted in the sheath of the same side 31, putting aside the wedge, liberating the exit of wheelchair or could be switch with the other at the other side. The higher side of the wedge to the back, for ease walk.

Other kind of wedge could be used to walk up stair. A small one to adapt better to the Step size. Small pockets under seat with same material could be built, so when the chair is closed, both pockets are at opposite side under the seat canvas.

The wheelchair is the most important instrument for the disable person. It should be there in an emergency situation. If the disabled person falls to the ground, close to the wheelchair, could lift the crutch, move it from the upper part and insert it from downward 32,32 a allowing more stability to the chair when he or she is trying to go back to the seat 1. It could be done with the crutch of one side. If more stability is needed, both wedges could be removed and both crutches could be placed by downward 32, acquiring more stability of the wheelchair. 32 a The disabled person alone holding the bars of the wheelchair 1, could get back in the seat. The crutches could be liberated by using the wedge.

REFERENCES CITED U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 3,023,048 February 1962 J L Barton 3,398,974 August 1968 Edwards et al. 3,584,890 June 1971 Frank P Prestley 3,759,544 September 1973 Korpela 3,936,898 February 1976 Poe 3,976,152 August 1976 Bell 4,012,074 March 1977 O' Reilly et al. 4,132,423 January 1979 Chant 4,264,085 April 1981 Volin 4,674,584 June 1987 Watkins 7,837,208 November 2010 Willis 8,967,652 March 2015 Beck et al. 8,998,244 April 2015 Pardue 9,044,369 June 2015 Goldish et al. 9,050,224 June 2015 Slorance 9,050,230 June 2015 Fast et al. 9,050,232 June 2015 Jeyasurya et al. 9,072,641 July 2015 Ewing 9,080,660 July 2015 Storch 9,119,756 September 2015 Mac Pherson 9,180,061 November 2015 Engman et al. 9,278,036 March 2016 Lee 9,566,200 February 2017 Mulhern et al. 9,757,290 September 2017 Scognamiglio 9,802,510 October 2017 Hui 9,962,303 May 2018 Wilson et al. 10/010,462 July 2018 Ríos 10/028,871 July 2018 Mohammad et al. 

I claim:
 1. Wheeleta has two crutches (muletas) and as a footrest it has two wedges. Those could be used as ramps to overcome the curb. By lifting and pushing out of sheath each crutch. Each wedge could be placed as a ramp attached to the crutch or by removing the crutch, twisting the metal sheet at the end of the crutch pivot to liberate the wedge, place it against the curb with the crutch, and putting back the crutch in the sheath while overcoming obstacles. After this, the crutch could be used to recover the wedges.
 2. The crutches also could be used as a door opener while be seated, by introducing the narrow end of the wedge between the door and the handle until the groove and twisting the crutch, pulling or pushing to open the door. If some help is needed to keep the door open, the other crutch could be used.
 3. As the crutches can be used to provide support as the user rises to go out. The convenience of changing the position of the wedge by twisting in its own sheath or by changing from the left to the right side of the Wheeleta and vice versa. Those movements allow to clear the exit or entrance to the chair.
 4. Hanger under the cushion area of the crutch could help by carrying bags while using both hands to travel.
 5. Wheeleta could be restrained by introducing the spear bottom up the sheath. The crutch, touching the floor avoid the movement of the wheelchair creating more stability while the disabled person alone on the floor, is trying to get back to the seat holding the tubing of the same side restrained. Also, both wedges could touch the floor when traveling in all public transit services.
 6. The limited movement of the wedge pivoting at the end of the spear contribute to stability when climbing stairs. Also, the height of the crutches can be changed to facilitate adaptation to different situations. 